


Plausible Deniability

by MeadHalfEmpty



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: Alpha Aaron Hotchner, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Behavioral Analysis Unit (Criminal Minds), Crime Fighting, F/M, Falling In Love, Fanfiction, Fluff and Smut, Kissing, Love, Surprise Kissing, Teasing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-16
Updated: 2019-01-07
Packaged: 2019-05-07 22:42:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 11,554
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14680983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeadHalfEmpty/pseuds/MeadHalfEmpty
Summary: Aaron Hotchner finds just what he needs in a new, unconventional agent. She curses like a sailor, wears the same dirty boots and has no shame in ignoring the rules. She pushes all of his buttons in just the right way and he brings out the side of her that she doesn't let anyone see.





	1. Pain In the Ass

"You wanted to see me?" She snuck her dark curls in the door, meekly, like I was about to scold her for being a pain in the ass. Even though she was.  
"Yes, please come in," I mumbled and tried so hard not to stare at her ass in her tight jeans as she turned to close the door. I don't know why she has to do a full circle to close it but she does, every time.  
She sighed and took the few steps from the door to my desk and waited with raised brows for me to speak. I kept her waiting for just a moment longer to inhale the musk of her perfume.  
"Am I in trouble or something?" she rolled her eyes at me and made a face out the window to the bullpen of team members trying to see through the blinds. I finally stood and went to the window to close them. I have to have control of this moment.  
"I just wanted to discuss your performance over the past week, given that you're new to this team and Strauss seems to have a certain view about your...unconventional behavior," I said just as I noticed her starting to smile.  
"Did David put you up to this?"  
"What exactly is your relationship with David Rossi? I know he recommended you in our time of need, he said that you were the best," I spat out of jealousy. The back of my mind knew that they must have slept together at some point, even though she's half his age.  
"I am the best," she stated, boldly. "You've watched me work all week, you should know that by now." She was trying to hide a grin but I could see the dimple in her cheek twitching. That sarcasm was definitely something I hated and loved.  
"You didn't answer my question."  
"No, okay? We've never slept together. He just likes to make everyone think we have," she laughed. "I mean it's David. He has to keep his reputation of a ladies man in check." She watched me study her. Inside I was rejoicing that my initial thoughts were wrong and I lost my train of thought. "So...what about my performance?"  
"Yes," I started again, having gotten distracted, "You were recommended by Dave so I have to respect his judgement in that you will be a great asset to this team but I also have to agree with Strauss in that you are unpredictable."  
"Excuse me?" She stiffened up and took a step towards me. I hated being the bad guy but at the end of the day, someone has to have to balls to call her out on her shit.  
"You've proven your skills over this past week and I will admit, I'm very glad Dave called you but you are unprofessional before your superiors, you act out emotionally-"  
"Oh whatever," she huffed and crossed her arms.  
"Just yesterday, you told an officer to 'suck your dick' when he argued against your decision to not pursue an UnSub." As much as I loved her comeback, it was my job to hate it.  
"He was being a stubborn asshole."  
"Right there, that's my point!" I laughed, "you can't say things like that to fellow officers. Even if they are being stubborn assholes."  
"So you agree with me that he was being a dick," she smiled.  
"That's not the point either," I laughed and walked from behind my desk. There was a moment of silence as we laughed at our argument and I felt myself staring. I could tell that my demeanor changed and I didn't care what we were talking about anymore. I just watched her watching me. "The point is that even though you are a pain in the ass and will cause me more paperwork than I care to do," I took a deep breath, "I'm glad Dave called you."  
She bit at her bottom lip as it curled to a smirk. She looked away with a sigh and all of a sudden, "I don't think I can work here."  
"What?" My jaw fell to the floor.  
"I-I don't think I can work here...I mean with you" she paused and sighed again, her whole body sinking.  
I frowned, utterly confused.  
"I can't work for someone who looks at me the way you do."  
"What do you mean?" I tried to play it off even though my face was deceiving my well-intentioned plans of staying calm.  
She smiled, "Aaron, you just said that I was the best. I don't need to read your mind to know what crosses it when I walk into a room."  
"That's enough," I straightened my posture and took a step back.  
"Your pupils dilate," she profiled me. "Your heart rate increases, your hands sweat. You stutter your words without realizing and I know the others can tell."  
"Just stop," I said again under my breath, taking another step back. Is this how it feels to be profiled? Is this what we've been doing to people? Make them feel violated and naked?  
"I know you're afraid to feel anything for anyone again given what you've been though and I completely understand and I'm so sorry, Aaron-" she walked towards me with confidence and empathy but she was starting to piss me off, reading me like that.  
"Enough!" was almost a scream as I grabbed her arms. I held her so tightly I could feel her pulse in my hands and feel her shake at the feeling of my fingers digging into her skin. I let go just as fast as I grabbed her when I felt her breath on my face, gasping at the surprise of my grip. I took an embarrassed step back and put my hand to my mouth at my own surprise of how much it turned me on for her to profile me. She could read me like a book and that vulnerability, for some reason, made my dick twitch.  
When I finally caught my breath and dared to look up at her, she was grinning -- the most shit-eating grin I had ever seen. She knew what she did to me. She knew I liked her words slapping me with every syllable. She knew what I needed and how I needed it and it drove her crazy to see me like this. It drove her crazy to know that she could control me the way I controlled everyone else around me, with harsh words and a firm hand.  
I stood as straight as I could and filled the small space between us with a heavy sigh and the best frown I could muster.  
I stared at her lips. "Don't you ever do that to me again."  
"Yes, Sir."  
There wasn't a moment in between the time she spoke to her pressing her lips to mine. My knees nearly buckled and I could hardly breathe but she had me trapped, her hands in my hair and her thigh pressed against my crotch. I sighed and tried to keep my thoughts still so I could enjoy the moment that I've been waiting for all fucking week. I had been waiting six days to feel her playfully bite my lip the was she does hers. I had been waiting six days to feel her body pressed against me, close enough that I can feel her muscles tighten though her shirt. I had been waiting six long days to taste the cinnamon lip balm that she applies at least twenty times a day.  
She pulled away from me with swollen lips and smiled. She bit her lip then kissed me quickly just as my phone rang on my desk. "Don't stutter."  
"Shut up," I pulled away with reluctance and answered the phone. "A-agent Hotchner?"


	2. Plausible Deniability

She had me pushed up against my front door, her hands all over me. I tried to keep my hands on her hips...  
"I need to go inside," I managed to say in between kisses. It was getting too difficult to keep my hands still and behave.  
"Is that an invitation?" she smiled against my lips and pushed her hips into me. I knew she could feel how hard I was and I took a deep breath.  
"You know that it's not." I grinned and squeezed her hips. I secretly wished that it was. I wanted her so badly.  
She sighed and pulled away from me. She started to play with the buttons on my shirt, "Why haven't you tried to have sex with me, yet?" She looked up at me with those big doe eyes, begging me. "I mean it's been like two months and all we've done is make out against your door."  
"Do you not like making out against my door?" I tired to make a joke but her big doe eyes turned into a glare. "It's just -- it's complicated because of work."  
"Oh my god, if I had a nickel for every time you've said that I could quit my day job," she rolled her eyes and let me go. "And if I did that it wouldn't be so complicated," she bit at her lip. "Maybe you should say it again."  
"I just want us to have plausible deniability," I told her honestly, then watched her head tilt.  
"Plausible deniability?" she repeated, "Are you kidding me?"  
"If something were to happen at work I don't want the worst outcome to happen."  
"Aaron, if something were to happen at work we would both be in a shit pile."  
"My career is closer to the end than the beginning. You still have years ahead of you in this field, I would hate to be the reason your reputation is ruined."  
She started to laugh, "My reputation?" she smiled. "You're cute."  
"I try," I smiled and kissed her again, feeling how badly she didn't want me to stop. The way she was pressing up against me, moving her hips and digging her fingers in to my back was driving me crazy. My mind flashed back to all of the other times we've been here, like high schoolers trying to get to second base before curfew...trying to sneak my hands up her shirt and cop a feel. "Ten minutes."  
"You need that long?"  
"Shut up," I kissed her as I fidgeted with the lock to get the door open. She had me pinned on the other side of the door sooner than I could lock it. She had her hand on me, teasing through my jeans and nearly lost it.  
"Woah, slow down," I tried to catch my breath. It felt way too good.  
"Too much?" she grinned and squeezed me. I felt a shudder down my spine and tried to smile the feeling away.  
"Just, slow down. It's been a while." I tried to think of the last time I was in this situation. It's been an embarrassing amount of time.  
"Is that why you haven't tried anything?" she suddenly stopped, "do you have a performance fear?"  
I rolled my eyes, "I told you why."  
"Uh huh," she kissed me to shut me up. She grabbed my hands from around her waist and put them on her chest. She sighed as I played through her shirt. "How much time do we have left?"  
"Uh, eight minutes?" I mumbled as I felt her trying to mess with my belt. "Wait-"  
"I'm not going to rape you, Aaron," she grinned as I heard my zipper. "But I am going to make sure you get a good night's sleep." She kissed my lips...my jaw...my neck... I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Anticipation feels like a slow heart attack.


	3. Shoot (Part 1)

I could hear her boots coming up the stairs and a curse as she tripped through the door. She smiled in her embarrassment, "What do you want?" I gave her a sideways glance from my phone as I hung it up. "Oh, I mean...You wanted to see me, Sir?" she mocked.  
"Yes, please close the door." I acted professional until we were in silence. "You look really beautiful today."   
"Don't I look beautiful every day?" she laughed, "No, I went shopping with Garcia. That girl's got some style."   
"She most certainly does." I closed the file in front of me and put down my pen, trying to conceal my smile. I wanted to keep the illusion that maybe something was really going on.  
"Oh, shit. Did I actually do something wrong?" Her shoulders sank and she shoved her hand in her back pocket.   
I laughed, "Not today." That didn't last long.  
"Don't scare me like that. You know I hate having to explain everything I do to Strauss." She sighed and narrowed her eyes at me, "What is it then?"  
"Well," I started, sitting up straight and fidgeting with my jacket, "As you know it is a holiday weekend..."  
"...yeah? So?"  
"So my son, Jack, will be spending the entire weekend with his Aunt out of town with her side of the family." She said nothing, just that shit-eating grin. "Do you think your hard-ass of a boss can give you some time to spend with your boyfriend?"  
"I really fucking hope so," she said through teeth, "And I don't know if my boss really needs to know this but I've kind of been getting blue balls, what with all of this running around." She started to walk around my desk, her hips lazily swaying.  
"Is that so?" I watched her watch me scoot my chair back and pull at my trousers.   
"It's getting painful," she grinned and squeezed herself in the space between me and the desk. "I mean with all of this working and sneaking around that we do, he still hasn't found the time to pay be back for all of the blowjobs I've given him in the past few weeks."   
"That truly is tragic." I could feel my face getting warmer and my breath shortening as she sat on the edge of my desk, reaching for the back of my chair and she pulled me closer to her. She leaned down enough that I could see down her shirt and she breathed heavily.   
"You know what is the true tragedy?" she bit at her lip.  
"What's that?" I stuttered and leaned in for a kiss-  
"Garcia just called us to the table before I came in here."   
"You've got to be kidding me," I sighed in frustration and sat back in my chair.   
She laughed, "I wish I was." She stood up and pushed me back so she could head for the door. "Maybe my hard-ass of a boss will just give us pass on this one?"   
"Maybe your hard-ass boss is actually hard and can't get up from his desk just this moment," I sighed and pulled my chair to the desk. She laughed as she opened the door and left, following Reid down the hall.   
"What is so funny?" I heard him ask.  
"Nothing, Hotch is just having a hard time of things right now. He'll be coming soon."  
I rolled my eyes at her irony and finally stood from my chair. This was going to be a long weekend.


	4. Shoot (Part 2)

I was walking back to my office when Dave came up behind me, "Hey," he smiled and put a hand on my shoulder. "I think I've got something."   
"Good, what have you got?" I asked over my shoulder as we walked up the stairs.   
"Now I haven't gotten Strauss' approval but I may have someone to come in right away." He followed me into the office and I walked around to grab the rest of my things before we needed to head out.  
"What's their story?"  
"Student of mine, reputation is...rocky." He raised that eyebrow and put his hands on his hips. "Might cause you more paperwork than you'll want to do."   
"I can deal with paperwork. Are they good?"   
"The best I've seen in a long time."   
"Good. Give Strauss the go-ahead and have them meet us here before we take off."   
Dave turned with raised brows towards the door then stopped, "I do have to warn you, Evan is the most unconventional agent you'll ever meet but will get the job done every time."   
"That doesn't matter right now. We've got a rampant serial killer who shows no sign of slowing down. Unconventional may be what we need to catch this guy before more victims start showing up."   
"Okay," he mumbled and went on his way.   
"Wait, Dave!" I called to him before he got too far, "Are you talking about Evan James? I know I've heard that name..." I tried to think about where I had heard that name before and if I knew him from somewhere.   
"I honestly would be more surprised if you haven't."   
"Well tell him to hurry and get here so we can over the newest case file and get going."   
He laughed out loud as he left the room. "Whatever you say, Boss."   
We had all just sat at the table when Dave walked in, with a beautiful woman on his arm.   
"Don't say anything," she said immediately, "I want to guess." She looked around the room at all of our puzzled faces. "Well you're the only other female so you're definitely JJ. Tall, dark and handsome has to Morgan. Pretty boy is Reid. Gorgeous blondie is Garcia, so you must be Hard-Ass-Hotch."   
"I didn't tell her that," Dave cut in, defending himself.   
"Sorry, who are you?" JJ asked from her chair, just as confused as rest of us.   
"Dave, you've got some shitty manners."   
"Apologies," he rolled his eyes and looked at me. I looked at him with a face that said, 'what the fuck'. "Everyone, this is Evan James. She's been brought in specifically for this case."   
"You're Evan?" I questioned. I won't deny, I was expecting another young genius like Reid to walk in but she was the complete opposite of what I had in mind.   
"You thought I was a man, didn't you?" she grinned and I noticed a dimple in her cheek.   
"Evan is a very androgynous name but it is more common with males, studies show. Only about twelve percent of people named 'Evan' are female."   
She stared at Reid blankly. "You weren't kidding," she turned to Dave and walked to the empty chair next to me. I could smell her perfume as she walked past me. Dolce and Gabanna, mixed with her coconut shampoo and a hint of cinnamon maybe from lotion? She sat casually next to me and put her boot on her knee, rocking in her chair with a pen in her mouth. "So what have we got?"  
We all looked around at each other in disbelief that this unprofessional young woman, tattooed, messy curls and dirty boots, was the answer to our prayers.   
"Um," Garcia stuttered and clicked the remote. "This is the fourth victim in four days. David Green was found naked in an alleyway, obvious signs of sexual mutilation and torture."   
"Gnarly," I heard her mumble under her breath as she looked through the case photos. My head snapped to Dave; he gave a hand gesture to give it moment and calm down before I exploded and told her to leave immediately. "What did they use to sodomize him with, a cactus? His ass is all torn up."   
"Um, I am not sure. It should say in the M.E. report." Garcia looked at Dave with the same face of disbelief at her crudeness. Why would Dave recommend someone like this?  
"Well the tox-screen shows you're usual date rape drugs so my best guess is that they were hunted at a local guy bar by someone who obviously hates homosexuals, does this to them and puts them on display. UnSub is either gay himself and is suffering from some sort of identity issue or just plain ol' hates the homos. This is either a deliberate message or a cry for help. Or both."  
When she stopped we were all in awe that she got all of that in a mere minute of looking at the case. I looked at Dave who was smiling, mumbling an 'I told you so' under his breath. I looked to the rest of the team who was equally as impressed and in shock from her demeanor and her quick analyzation.   
"Okay well if that's all we have...wheels up in thirty."   
"Ah, hot damn I've waited so long to hear that famous line," she laughed and hopped up from her chair. "Thank you so much, Aaron Hotchner for making my day."   
"What the hell is that, Dave?" I whispered as soon as she was out of the room. I scowled at her skipping down the hall, excited that we were going to Florida to catch a murderer. Why would anyone be excited about something like this? Why in the world was she so passive? Then something about her doing the moonwalk and Garcia egging her on made me smile. I remembered that everyone has their quirks to make this job easier and her being so...her...must be hers.   
"Come on Dave, let's go see the alligators!" She moonwalked to the stairs and tried to slide down the handrail and failed.   
"That, Aaron Hotchner, is the most beautiful pain the ass you'll ever see in your life."   
"Beautiful is right," Morgan said over my shoulder and gave Dave a wink as he walked out. Reid followed him with some other statistic on beauty and brains.  
"She definitely is interesting," JJ followed, checking her phone for any news on her sick son at home.   
"Trust me, Aaron. She may be crazy but she's the best." Dave gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before following the others. I smiled, trying to keep an open mind. I looked down at my untied shoe and saw, out of the corner of my eye, something sitting in the empty chair next to me. I picked it up and put it in my pocket, but not before opening the lid and smelling the waxy balm. Cinnamon


	5. Shoot (Part 3)

She was bouncing to the beat over the speakers, shaking her head either which way. She was biting another grape in half as she mouthed the words. All I could do was smile and try to keep my eyes on the road.   
"Come on, Aaron, sing!", she danced and put her hands in the air.   
"No, I don't sing," I watched a passing car speed by, shaking the daydream of meeting her for the first time from my mind.   
"Oh, yes you do. Come on," she handed me a grape and bobbed her head. She turned up the radio and started to scream more than sing as the next song started to play. "...the one that makes me laugh, she said, she threw her arms around my neck..."   
"Would you stop?" I laughed and watched her dance with another grape in her mouth. "Please don't make me pull over to perform the Heimlich maneuver because you choked on a grape." She immediately spat it out at me and it went flying across the car.  
"Stop distracting the driver! Jeez, you're like a five year old in the car."   
"Are we there yet?" she groaned and kicked her feet up on the dashboard.  
"Seriously, I should have made you ride with Morgan and Reid."   
"I wouldn't have kissed you for a week."   
"Yeah, right," I smiled in her direction and watched her watch the blurring trees. I could tell she was biting her lip and she breathed a fog onto the window.  
"It should be coming up soon. Says it'll be on the right side." I double checked the GPS. I played with the buttons to make the screen bigger and saw the lake was close. "When we get there remember that they're going to pull in first. We have to keep an eye out in case he comes in this way."   
"So you can't make it up to me while we wait?" she grinned and drew a heart on the window.  
I rolled my eyes, "I wish."  
She mumbled something under her breath with a smile and looked up, "Oh there's the sign up there." She pointed to the brown and yellow sign on the side of the road.   
"Morgan, it's right up here," I talked into the walkie.   
"Headed up there," he replied and sped up to go around us. We pulled over to the side a good distance from the entrance turn and watched them pull in. They parked on the side up enough to not see them from the road, "Okay, we're in position."   
"Okay. We'll keep and eye on the road just in case they decide to make a run for it." I watched her make another fog on the window.  
"Gotcha. Keep your eyes peeled."   
"Copy."   
"You're so serious." She poked at my arm as I put the walkie back in the holster on the dash. She turned and drew another heart.  
"You should be more serious. You know what this man is capable of. This isn't a time to play games." I looked at her sternly. Sometimes I really did wish she wasn't so much of a free spirit. This job is serious and takes some serious focus and she always seems like her head is in the clouds.   
She whipped her head in my direction. "You know I'm always on it, Aaron. I don't know why you worry so much," she pulled her gun from her waist and double checked the cartridge.   
"Because you always seem like you're somewhere else. Even in situations like this you make jokes and draw pictures on the windows." I was getting irritated. She was right, even though she always seems distracted she never missed the action when it mattered.   
"Aaron," she started and I looked at her, annoyed, "You know damn well that I take this job seriously. Of all people, you know that." She tossed her gun on the dashboard and crossed her arms, staring back out the window.   
I sighed and knew I had pissed her off. "I'm sorry," I turned to her and put my hand on her knee. "I know you take this seriously, I didn't mean that." She looked down at my hand and sighed. It took her a second but she finally grabbed my hand. "I am too serious."   
"Sometimes," she mumbled, "I know I don't always act as serious as I should be but if I can't...If I was as serious as you all the time I would lose my mind in this job."   
"It's okay," I pulled her to me and leaned across the armrest to lay on my shoulder. I held her awkwardly in her vest but she had to know that I understood. "Maybe you can teach me how to make a joke."   
"Don't push it," she grinned against my shoulder and kissed it through my shirt. She leaned up to me for a kiss just before we heard the first gunshot.   
"Aaron, that came from down the road," she looked in the direction of where Morgan and Reid were sitting and grabbed her gun from the dash.   
"There's no way he came from this way. He must have known we were coming." I started the car and put it in drive in one swift motion and sped to the turn. I looked ahead to see Morgan and Reid out of the car and running towards us, Morgan signaling for us to fall back. I stopped the car and opened the door, firing in the direction of the shots. I watched her carefully as she did the same, helping Reid behind the door she was using as a shield.  
"You okay?" she asked over her shoulder.   
"Yeah, I'm fine, just shoot them!" Reid panicked and started firing from the passenger side. Morgan made it behind me and picked up the walkie from the holder in the font seat.   
"This is SSA Derek Morgan. Requesting back up that Morse Lake, shots fired. It was an ambush. Please, requesting back up.!"   
"Fuck!" I heard her curse as shots started to come from another direction.   
"Everyone in the car!" I shouted and we all tried to scurry into the suburban, shooting as we went.   
"Aaron, drive!" Morgan yelled and kept firing out the window as I put the car in reverse and hit the gas.


	6. Before

Her phone buzzed in her lap. She jumped slightly and picked it up. I watched her furrow her brow in confusion but then she grinned. She quickly typed back and it was only a moment before my phone beeped. 

I kept a straight face and took my time to answer, trying not to make it seem like I was flirting with her from five feet away. Her phone buzzed and I waited for her reaction. There was a small grin growing in her lips, just enough to see the dimple in her cheek then it was gone. Stone cold like me. She clicked her phone to lock the screen and got up from her seat. I watched her wondering why she didn't respond but instead went to the back of the plane and grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. She calmly took a sip or two, standing at the counter rolling the cap in her fingers. She took another sip and walked back to her seat, leaving her phone alone for the rest of the flight. What it something I said?

"Hey," I finally stopped her as we were all filing out of the plane. "You okay?", I whispered so the others couldn't really hear and if they did, it would just sound like a concerned boss checking on his team member. 

She give a nodding gesture that she was fine but didn't say a word, just followed Reid down the steps to the tarmac. I kept my ears open the whole way back to the office for any sign that I had somehow made her upset or any sign that something was wrong but nothing. She was acting completely normal, joking with Morgan about his date and making plans to shop with Garcia...tripping over her boots coming out of the elevator.

"Well have a good weekend, y'all. I'm hitching a trail," she called on her way out to the parking lot with a yawn. They all said their goodbyes and we went our separate ways. I thought that maybe she never actually read my text from earlier and was thinking that we were sticking to our usual after work plans so I followed along. 

I got in my car and double-checked my phone before plugging it in to charge. As soon as the engine started, it started ringing. 

"Hey. Did you not get my text?" I asked immediately, confused. 

"Oh, no, I got your text," she stated like nothing was wrong but I could hear a grin in her voice.

"Oh," I paused, still confused, "then what was all that before? You didn't text me back, or say anything when we landed."

"I know," I could hear her car starting up and her music blared for a split second before it faded into the background noise of the engine. "I'll just meet you at your place, like usual." 

"Uh, okay," I stammered, still completely confused. "I'll see you in a few minutes...?"

"Yes, Sir." Click. 

I smiled. My whole face lit up and I took such a deep breath that I almost started to laugh. She was playing me. She had read my text, she knew that I had invited her to finally stay over while Jack was away for summer camp. She knew this whole time that we would finally be able to be alone long enough for me to pay her back, plus some. She was such a pain in the ass.


	7. After

I couldn't keep my eyes to myself. Every time I blinked I pictured her naked underneath me. Naked on top of me. Naked lying to me. I was watching her chew on her pen and all I could think of was my dick in her mouth.    
    "Hotch?" Rossi nudged at my arm at the round table, wanting my opinion.    
    "Uh, yes. That sounds about right." I had no idea what we were talking about anymore. I looked around and gaged everyone's facial response to what I had said and they seemed confused. "Sorry, I guess I'm kind of out of it today. What happened?"   
    "Something else on your mind, Aaron?" She hid her grin for only me to see.    
    "This unsub won't stop until we stop them," I started over and tried to pretend like I wasn't being transparent. "Wheels up in twenty."    
    Everyone started to gather their things and scramble but she took her time. She kept seated as everyone else got up and started to head towards their desks or go get their overnight bags from their cars.   
    "Hey," I went up to her after everyone had left, "you alright?"   
    "Yeah," she said and jumped out of her seat. She started to head towards the door -   
    "Stop," I stopped her with my arm blocking her way. "What is it?"    
    She sighed and rolled her eyes at me, "My family is flying in this weekend. I'm not really looking forward to it."   
    "For your bother, you mean?" I remember her telling me a few details about her late brother who had died in action when she was younger. She didn't talk about it much; I guess it was one of those things in a family that everyone would rather just never talk about.   
    "Yeah," she paused and looked down at her boots, "it's been ten years."    
    "If you need to take some time off, I understand."   
    "Aaron, please don't make me sit in a room with my parents all weekend," she practically begged. "I'd much rather be in Boston trying to catch this sick bastard."    
    I nodded, "okay." I let her pass me and I felt her brush against me slowly as she walked by. "Hey," I called out before she could get too far. "Are you going to tell you parents what happened to your arm?"    
    She laughed and looked down at her arm, still in a sling and still sore. "Fuck no. If I tell them that I got shot at work they'll put me in the grave next to my brother."    
    I rolled my eyes at her morbid joke and started to follow her down the hall back to my office. She turned to me and started to mumble, "but I might tell them that I'm seeing someone." She grinned and very discretely pinched at my ass.    
    "Please don't," I mumbled back, panically looking around the room to see if anyone may have noticed.    
    "Oh, come on. It's been like, eighteen hours."    
    I stopped at my office door with a raised brow. "Only eighteen? You can't wait, maybe another six until we get where we're going?"   
    "I just barely got a taste of you," she backed me into my office and I quickly closed the door.    
    "Are you sure you don't need some time?" I walked past her and closed the blinds. "You're acting a little strange." Yes, she had always been a tease but I couldn't tell if she was being more playful as a distraction or for something else.    
    "Why because I want you?" She walked towards me and started to play with my tie. This was no distraction. I watched her bite her lip and I knew a kiss was coming. I tried to resist but who could. That cinnamon kiss she gave me tasted so good. She pushed her body against mine and I could feel it in her kiss that she wanted me. She was wishing that I could take her right here, right now.    
    She pulled away for a breath and clawed her fingers into my hair. "You should feel how wet I am right now."    
    "Please," I begged for her to stop this teasing. She just grinned. She pulled me by my tie into her lips and kissed me hard. That cinnamon kiss.    
    I took a deep breath and felt something come over me. I don't know how she did it but she unleashed some primal instinct in me, one that I hadn't seen in a long time. I think last night when she was over was the first time she'd really seen and judging by the following eighteen hours I would say that she liked it.    
    "When we land, you're coming with me to the crime scene. But we're going to take a little side trip first," I paused waiting to see her reaction. So far so good. "You're not going to show any excitement on the plane when I announce how we're going to split up and once we get in the car you're going to be silent until we get where we're going. Is that understood?"    
    She was still. Her face was blank but I could see a glimmer of excitement in her dark eyes. She barely grinned and let go of my tie. "Yes, Sir."    
    "Good. Now go get your go bag, we're leaving in a few minutes."    
    "Yes, Sir," she turned for the door with that shit-eating grin and just as she opened it-   
    "Agent James?"   
    "Yes, Agent Hotchner?" She loved playing this game.    
    "If you don't follow my rules on this case, I will personally see to it that you are appropriately punished for your actions." I gave her a quick smirk then sat swiftly in my chair. I started to gather all of the paperwork needed for this case before we needed to leave. I didn't look up from my desk but I could tell that she was smiling.    
    "Yes, Sir."


	8. Bait

I heard her wince and whine in pain and bit my lip hard. 

"What happened to you?"

"Eh, I got shot." I could tell she was acting tough, playing it off like it was no big deal. 

"Well where's this amazing team of yours?"

"They'll find me eventually."

"You don't seem too concerned."

"Should I be?"

"You're all tied up and at my mercy. I would be."

"Nothing I haven't done before." I could hear the smirk in her voice. "I know I'm not the one you want to play with."

"You think you know what I want?"

"She ruined your life. Got your friends killed, trashed your little game plan."

"Shut up!"

I could hear the skin on skin contact of him slapping her face. I held my breath until I could hear her breathe again. 

"Hotch!" 

"Wait!" I told the team to hold until the right moment. She knew what she was doing. She was in control. 

I heard her spit. "Is that what you would do to her? Smack her around a little?"

"I would make her beg!" His voice got closer and I hard a sharp rip of fabric before her scream echoed. I clenched my jaw and looked away so no one could see the hurt in my face. 

"Hotch!" 

"Not yet!" I spat, wanting with everything I had to run inside and kill that bastard. "We have to wait until she gives the okay."

"How's that wound feel now?" He was enjoying this. 

"It burns a little," she was still playing it cool. I knew she was in a lot of pain, but damn that woman was strong. "Why do you keep checking your phone? You hoping she'll come save me?"

"I told you to shut up."

"And I told you that Emily Prentiss isn't part of our team anymore."

"She knows that I'm looking for her. She'll show her face and my men will find her."

"What's left of your men, you mean?" I head another slap and I couldn't take anymore. 

"Okay, go! Go!" I yelled across the lot that we were waiting in and they all followed me to the back doors. 

"Tell me where she is."

"No," she was still putting up a fight. I heard another slap in the earpiece and sped up, practically running to where I knew she was. 

"Tell me!" I knew he was about to hurt her again so I took my shot. One of his guards fell and I knew she heard us coming. I heard the scrambling of everyone else in the room get their guns and try to shoot but we were faster. 

"Is that Emily?" His voice echoed and she yelled. 

"If you want it to be," Prentiss called back and Evan took her chance. I just got to her when I saw her push herself off the wall with enough force to kick the man in the head. It incapacitated him long enough to give me the chance to take my shot. One bullet and he was done. 

"You took your time," she coughed and spit blood onto the concrete. 

"I'm sorry," I ran to her and tried to get her down. "Morgan!" I called for him. "We're gonna have to get a bolt cutter."

"It's okay, Aaron," she whispered. "I'm alright." 

I looked at her with concern and tried to hold her up to relieve the strain in her arms. 

"Here, I got it!" Morgan came running back and carefully clipped the chain around her wrists and she fell into me. 

"Are you okay?" I hugged her as discreety as possible and checked her over. This was the hardest it's been not to fawn over her and cover her with kisses. 

"I'm fine, I promise." 

"Get that arm checked out, honey," Morgan came to check on her. 

"Yeah," she winced and she wobbled out to the parking lot where an ambulance was already waiting. 

"What's going on?"

"Well now that he's dead, Emily can go back-"

"No, I mean with Evan."

Shit. "What do you mean?" Play dumb, Arron. 

"Come on, Hotch. You work with a group of profilers. Something is going on."

"She volunteered to be tortured by a man who used to do this for a living." 

"That's not what I meant."

I kept my face as confused and innocent as possible. "I don't understand."

"You just act differently around her. Like a moment ago you checked her over a little too closely. Reached for her hand." 

Shit. "She was already hurt, Morgan. You saw how beat she is now." Good play. 

He shook his head, not believing a word I was saying. "Whatever." 

Shit.


	9. Aftershock

She was pressing an ice pack to her face and tonguing at the fresh gash in her lip. She winced as the line was being tugged in her arm and looked out the open ambulance doors. She sighed,

"I'm fine," she rolled her eyes and looked away from me.

I quickly double-checked that no one was paying too much attention and hopped inside the truck. She sat up straighter and watched her arm being stitched back up.

"How is she?" I asked the EMT and watched Evan glare.

"She'll be fine," he mumbled and tied off another stitch. "Anymore damage and we would have needed to redo the whole thing."

"I'm fine, Aaron."

"She'll be bruised and sore for a while but nothing is broken," he paused and just happened to look up into that death stare. "She's fine." He complied and tied off the last stitch. "Ice and rest."

"Yep," she called behind her as she stumbled out of the doors. I sighed and shook my head.

"Is she always like that or is it just...?"

"No. This is very usual. Unfortunately." I mumbled and followed her onto he asphalt. I watched her head over to the car, head down and staring at her boots.

"Hotch," JJ called me over to her and Emily and I barely felt myself wondering back in their direction. My mind was with her in that car.

"She okay?" I could tell Emily felt guilty about letting her go in instead of herself.

"She's tough. She'll be fine," I played along and kept my answers as simple as possible.

"Well at least it's over." JJ reassured me and gave me a small smirk. I looked at her confused,

"For now," I kept playing. "Let's just all get back for tonight and start fresh in the morning. There's going to be a ton of paperwork for this one."

"Lovely," Emily joked and started to head back with JJ and Reid. I took my time talking to the other officers and closing up what we needed to before we headed out. By the time I got back to the car she was asleep. I didn't wake her or even try to speak, I just started the car and headed back to the airport.

 

I knew everyone was watching me watch her and in this moment, I didn't care. She was in pain, leaning against the window, knocked out from the medication. It was my fault. I sighed and looked away for a moment and rested my head back on my fist. I closed my eyes and remembered the exact moment that I let her get away with this...

"Absolutely not."

"Why not?"

"No way."

"Emily can't go in and JJ isn't his type."

"You're not going in there." I put my foot down at this and looked into her glare. She was still silently arguing and I couldn't let the others see. "Could you all give us a moment, please." I looked around the room at the confused faces and watched them file out the door. I walked over and closed the blinds to the conference room we were using and immediately she opened that mouth.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing is wrong with me. You're just not going in there."

"Someone has to go-"

"It's not going to be you! I've already made up my mind!"

"Aaron Hotchner shut up and listen to me!"

There it was. That temper that no one dared to invoke, knowing that they would be eaten alive. But it was also that temper that I secretly loved. Something about her being so in charge...

"Stop being my boyfriend for fifteen seconds and be my boss." She looked up at me, her voice was stern but her eyes were soft. I took a deep breath an respond like I should have the first time.

"Emily can't go in, he'll kill her on the spot." She was nodding her head, agreeing with me like she wanted me to. "JJ isn't his type and if we send in a man, he'll shut everything down. If you go in, it will give us enough time to plan a way to take him out."

She took a deep breath and pulled herself into me. She kissed me gently, softly so that I would trust. "I'll be okay."

"He's going to hurt you."

"I'm already shot, what else could he do?"

"You know what he could do." I swallowed hard and cleared my throat, tying to shake the thought of her being hurt from my head.

"I'll live, I promise."

"You better." I kissed her hard and opened the blinds. Letting everyone know she had won the argument. As usual.

 

I was so far out of it that I hardly noticed Dave getting out his phone to text me from across the table. My phone buzzed.

_Is there something you need to tell me?_

I looked up at him watching me read my phone and lowered it into my lap. I looked back over at her quickly and was about to respond when another text came through.

_I know. She's hard to resist._

I tried not to smile and tried not to look over at the sleeping agent across the plane but I couldn't help myself. I quickly responded and put my phone in my pocket, getting up and heading for the bathroom. I stopped at the door and looked back at Dave, who gave a subtle nod.

 _Let me make sure she gets home okay then we can talk_.

 


	10. Pills

"You know, the first time I realized she was special was when she was in training. It was the point when we had them interview patients from the hospital..."

"I was so nervous for that part of training," I reminisced.

"She wasn't. She was excited. At first I thought it was a red flag, like she could be one of those special cases."

"When the psychopath gets into the field to witness everything first hand?"

"Or cause more damage."

"She is crazy but she's not that crazy."

"Well when it was finally her turn to interview a patient I wanted to be sure. I put her with someone who was awaiting trial. I knew it wasn't the protocol but...I had to know what she was capable of.

She commanded that interview like I'd only seen in one other person. No one can get inside the mind of an unsub like that without pure talent."

"Gideon was number one manipulator," I smirked and sipped my coffee.

"I used to think I was number two until that day. She put me to shame."

"Is that when you decided to ask her out?"

"Shut up," he laughed and added another sugar to his coffee.

"You've never really told me what happened with that."

He sighed and shook his head, "She's pretty and I'm a dirty old man."

I laughed, "And she can out manipulate you. That had to be a turn on."

"It is," he sipped, "but I'll keep that to myself now that I know she's taken." He raised a brow and waited for my response.

"It just happened." I tried so hard not to smile like and idiot. He was staring at me, unconvinced.

"How soon was it before you realized she was special?"

"Honestly?," I paused and took a deep breath, "When I watched her moonwalk down the hallway, excited about seeing alligators in Florida."

"She has that blind optimism like Garcia. It's not really blind, it's just her way of keeping this job and all of it's emotional demands at a distance."

"Some people cook."

"Hey now, don't bring my cooking into this!" he set down his coffee to scold me. "Don't try to change the subject."

I laughed and swirled the last few drops of my drink around the paper cup. "I can't get anything past you, can I?"

"Come on, give me some details." He was looking too eager.

"You want me to give you details about me and a girl you tried to date?"

He paused. "Good point."

 

 

"How was your date?"

"It wasn't a date?"

"Uh huh," she mumbled against my lips. I could tell she missed me.

"You been bored today?" I mumbled back.

"Yes!" she whined and threw her head back. "Get me out of here!"

"It's almost over," I tried to reassure her.

"Yeah, only nine more days. But who's counting."

"Have you taken your meds?" I asked but I already knew the answer.

"I don't think I've even opened the bottle." She looked away like a kid who hadn't eaten their vegetables.

"I figured," I smirked and pulled a bottle from my jacket pocket. "Just take half of one."

"Aaron-"

"I'll be here all night. Plus, this will help you sleep." I started to pry the stupid foil off the top as she headed for the kitchen.

"I'm fine!"

"I can see the pain in your eyes, just take half of one!"

"That's the pain of cabin fever."

"Evan!" I stopped her before she got too far. She sighed and looked up at me, still fighting defeat. "I'll be here with you all night."

"You need to get home to Jack." She was trying to convince me to leave and drop the subject but she forgets that I'm as stubborn as she is.

"Jack is with his aunt, he'll be fine until the morning."

She rolled her eyes and held out her hand. I grinned as I finally got into the bottle and handed her a pill. She reached into a drawer and cut the pill in half and before she could set the knife down it was in her mouth and gone.

"Happy now?"

"Thank you."

"Now take me to bed."

"Yes, ma'am."

 


	11. Return

   

    "Well, lookie what we got here," Derek grinned as she walked through the glass doors.

    "Yeah, I must look like I just came from vacation. All well rested and shit."

    "And you still couldn't brush your hair?" I came in on the conversation with a raised brow, knowing damn well that her hair was still a mess from last night. The team laughed at her expense and she threw me a glare. "It's nice to have you back, Evan."

    "Thanks -"

    "Hate to break up the celebration...hello, Evan. Welcome back to work," JJ walked though the doors with a handful of files and that look on her face. It was bad.

    Evan threw her head back, "Don't I at least get like, a cake or something first?"

    "Garcia has donuts." Reid jumped in as he headed for the stairs.

    "That's good enough."

 

    "This one is a doozy," Garcia came into the room with the box of donuts from earlier. "As we all know there's been a big hullabaloo about the construction on the J Edgar Hoover building in D.C."

    "You mean that they're finally fixing up the place?" Dave chimed in.

    "That and how they're trying to make a skyway that connects the FBI building to the Justice building across the street. Now before you ask me, 'Garcia, why do we care about construction?', there is this."

    She pressed a button on the remote and the screen lit up.

    "Holy shit," Evan chewed with her mouth open.

    "The FBI receives bomb threats regularly, why should we assume that this is different?" Reid asked, reaching for the box of donuts. "They have protocols for things like this."

    "That's what I said. Like, don't they have people who deal with this stuff?"

    "Garcia," I mumbled to move her along.

    "Right," she pushed another button. "This letter was found in their mail yesterday. There was no postage, no return address, they didn't even find a fingerprint."

    "What do you mean 'found'?"

    "It was found mixed in with all of the other mail in the mailroom. Since it was a blank envelope, they did all of the FBI thingys to make sure it wasn't bugged or whatever. When they opened it and read they called us."

    "No one is safe. This will end. And we will end it." Reid read off the letter and looked around the room confused.

    "Couldn't someone have just dropped it in their mail or something?"

    "That's the thing that's weird. I mean it's all weird but the weirder thing is that it was right on top of all the other mail. Like, delicately placed so someone would see it. They would have had to have access to the mail or have someone on the inside sneak it in." She clicked again and another image came up of the envelope and the text on the paper.

    "So they think this is someone on the inside of the FBI?"

    "At least someone who has access. That could be a number of people."

    "Approximately, there are 35,000 employees at any given time but that number varies year to year."

    "So what, we have to sift through 35,000 people?"

    "I have no idea but I've called everyone I know in D.C. and I've been in contact with their gorgeous hacker man so that should help. I hope." Garcia checked her phone as it buzzed and sighed. "Okay, Romero just messaged me saying that he sent me email to give me access to their database. I should be able to get in there now and get whatever you need."

    "Good," I took a deep breath and knew this was going to be an extended trip. Everyone was going to be watching our every move and every decision was going to fall back on me and immediately felt my hands start to sweat. "We'll call you from the plane. Wheels up as soon as everyone is ready."

    We all scrambled to grab our things and head out. JJ immediately dialed Will and made her way out. Reid grabbed another donut and shoved it in his mouth while handled all the files and read them on the way. Garcia's heels clicked out the side door and Dave added another sugar to his coffee.

    "Evan, can I talk to you for a second?" I called after her before she got too far. She nodded with a slight eye roll and lead the way to my office.

    "Yes, sir?" She smirked and took a seat.

    I closed the door behind me, "How are you feeling?" I turned and headed for my desk.

    "Didn't you ask me that question when we woke up this morning?"

    "That was before you were actually here and before we had a case," tried to make a point. She wasn't buying it.

    "We'll I'm still fine, Aaron. I passed my psych eval, I been cleared to fly and everything. I just want to get back to work."

    "I know. You've been telling me every day for two weeks," I reminded her of her annoyance.

    "Then you should know that I'm fine and you should stop asking me." She narrowed her eyes and reminded me of mine.

    I watched her watching me, remembering the first time we were in my office behind closed doors. It was crazy to think that six months ago she wasn't a part of my life and now she's everything to me. After I lost Haley, I had only casually dated maybe two other women before I decided to just give up. But then Evan walked through the door and pissed me off in the most perfect way and I couldn't resist.

    "I love you, Evan."

    "I love you, Aaron."

    "This case is going to be difficult," I quickly changed the subject before I turned into a romantic pile of mush at work. She grinned as I stirred in my chair and flipped through the file. "It's going to take everything we've got to get this."

    "...did someone just walk through the door or did I miss something?" She turned around confused. Usually I had only changed subjects that quickly when someone walked up on us and we suddenly had to be casual.

    "I'm just saying, that if you need a break or need-"

    "Aaron, I swear to God just stop. I'm fine!" She jumped from her chair and pulled the lip balm from her pocket.

    "Then what's the other thing bothering you?" I had come to learn that the application of that cinnamon I loved so much was part of a nervous tick.

    "Stop profiling me, for starters. It makes me feel naked," she rubbed her lips together and sighed. "I'm just afraid that...really messed up this time."

    "What do you mean?" I questioned. I know the whole situation with her first being shot then being beat up a few weeks later was a headache for everyone but it's not like it's never happened before. "What did you do?"

    "Hey, you guys!" Morgan busted through the door, "Sorry, but we've really gotta go. We got the team waiting for us."

    "We'll be right there," I reassured him and grabbed for my things, standing from my desk.

    "You okay, Evan?" he asked and I could see the flames in her eyes as yet another person asked her that damned question.

    "I'm fine, Derek," she managed to say without screaming, "I'm just being harassed about the assurance of my mental state."

    "Eh, we all been there at least once," he grinned. "Just think of this way, every one of us has some type of scar from the job. Think of it as a sign that you're officially part of the team." He smiled and gave her a very soft pat on her injured arm.

    "My own badge of honor. How'd I get so lucky?" She grinned back at me as she squeezed past Morgan and headed down the steps.

    "She okay?" He asked as soon as she was out of ear-shot.

    "I think so," I mumbled and started for the door when Morgan stopped me.

    "Hotch, wait," he sighed. "Look I know it's none of my business and you don't have to tell me anything but I have to know," he paused and I felt my heart skip a beat. Shit. "Is something going on with you two? I've asked before and you acted like you had no idea what I was talking about but really. You work with a group of profilers. We notice some things."

    "Yeah?," I stopped him, more upset than embarrassed. "What do you think you notice?"

    "Just small things here and there, like the fact that she's in this office almost every day with the doors closed, you guys talking about something."

    "You work with her. How many rules do you think she breaks a day, that I end up having to clean up?"

    "That's not what I meant and you don't have to get so defensive." His chest did that puff up thing that happens when he gets agitated. "I'm not judging, Aaron. I just want to know. We're all a part of this team and we all depend on each other to be focused and present so we can work a case and having the person you love just return to work from being beat to a pulp is a distraction."

    I was petrified. He served me damn well and for the first time I didn't have a come back. All I could do was give him that stare that told him he had crossed the line.

    "How long?" He finally asked after a moment of silence.

    "Six months." I gave up. They all would find out eventually if they all didn't already know.

    "She's only been here for six months!" He took a step back, surprised. "Damn, you don't waste any time, do you?" He laughed and playfully punched my shoulder.

    "You can't tell anyone. Dave knows but I don't want this to get out to everyone." I sighed and squeezed past him for the stairs. "I mean it, Derek!" I called back as I heard him clap and laugh to himself.

    "What is all that?" Reid caught up to me at the elevators with a smile. "Something good?"

    "We'll see."


	12. Boom

    "Get them out of here, now!' I heard Dave calling across the skywalk and everyone started running. I tried as calmly as I could to direct foot traffic without panicking anyone further. I kept looking back to Dave who was pushing the crowd towards me when I saw the elevator doors open and those curls bounce out.

    I felt my heart race as she scanned the screaming crowd for me. I hoped our eyes would meet so I could telepathically tell her to turn back and be safe but sooner than I could take a breath to yell for her everything went black.

    I could hear her screaming my name. Blood curdling screams. Even in this darkness I could hear it tearing up her throat. I tried as hard as I could to open my eyes but I just couldn't.

    "Aaron!" Her screams were getting closer. "Aaron!" I could hear her boots stomping on the concrete, closer and closer until I could smell her sweat and perfume. "Aaron! Aaron, wake up!"

    I felt her hands on my face, her fingers trembled and her voice shook. I could feel her trying to wipe away the blood from my eyes. She carefully tried to support my head but as soon as she moved me I could feel the pain. "It's gonna be okay," she leaned down to whisper and gently kissed my cheek. "Derek! Help me!"

    "They're coming! They're coming!" I could hear Morgan yelling in her direction. I could hear shots being fired. I could hear the blood in my lungs with every gasping breath. I could hear her crying...then everything went black.

 

 

    "He's going to be fine. We stopped the bleeding just in time but he still lost a lot. We had to do a transfusion but it was successful."

    "That just sounds icky."

    "He's going to have to be in a cast for the next six weeks, at least. After that we'll see how his leg heals and see how the rod holds up."

    "Damn."

    "His ribs will be sore for a while. I would recommend him being home, resting for at least the six weeks he needs to be off of his leg."

    "Six weeks?! He's going to go crazy not being able to work."

    "I know this is going to be tough for him but he went through a lot. He'll need all the support he can get right now."

    "We're all here for him. He'll be just fine."

 

 

    I hate waking up in the hospital. It was so bright and it always smelled like rubbing alcohol. I barely had time to comprehend that I was waking up when I felt her arms around me, so gently, like they were barely even there. But I could smell her.

    "Aaron," she cried. "Don't ever do that to me again."

    "Yes, Ma'am," I tried to smile but everything hurt. I could tell she was smiling and gave me a quick peck on the cheek before I heard more shoes on the tile.

    "Hey, theres' the man," Derek's voice echoed.

    "Oh, my God! Thank goodness!" Garcia's heels clicked over to the side of the bed and I felt a little less gentle hug. "Sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm just so happy you're awake!"

    "Yeah," I mumbled and tried to feel for the morphine button. I could hear it being unwrapped from around the bed frame and felt it handed to me. I've never been so fast at pushing buttons.

    "Take it easy, Captian. Don't use it all at once," Morgan laughed.

    "What even happened?"

    "We can talk about it later, okay?"

    "No, what happened? Why did they detonate so early?" There was a moment of silence. "Evan, what did you do?"   

    "Seriously?" She signed and gently nudged at my arm. "They just caught on to us before we had the chance to get everyone out safely."

    "Clearly," I tried to joke but no one was laughing. "Why can't I move anything?"

    "Three broken ribs which caused a collapsed lung, a broken leg and a concussion. Not to mention the eighty-five stitches from all of the lacerations."

    "Thanks, Reid," I mumbled as I felt every injury as they were listed off. "Where's Dave?"

    "He's fine. He's a few rooms down." I felt her take the morphine button from my hand and wrap it back up.

    "One broken rib, a broken ankle-"

"Reid," Morgan stopped him.

    "He's in a lot better shape than you, old man," she grinned and I knew she was biting her lip in anxiety.

    "Okay, let's leave him alone you guys," Morgan ordered and I started hear the 'I'm glad you're okay' ramblings as they all left. All but one.

    "How long have I been out?"

    "Three days," she sniffed and I could tell from her voice that she had been crying. "Surgery took a long time and you had a tube in your throat until this morning."

    I swallowed hard, "I can tell." 

    "I got ahold of Jess. Jack really wants to see you but I talked him into waiting."

    "Did you bribe him with your pancakes?" I recalled the few mornings that she stayed when I had Jack. It had made me nervous to introduce them to each other but after a while I simply couldn't avoid it. But he warmed up to her quickly. It made me proud to see them get along so well and I loved how she was with him. It couldn't have been easy for her to take something on like being a parental figure for someone else's child but she was amazing. Even though I'm pretty sure he loved her only for her cooking.

    "Maybe," she smiled and held my hand tighter.

    "I'm alive, Evan. I'll be okay." I squeezed her hand and tried to smile. "You should go home and rest. I'm sure I'll be here for a while."

    "At least a week, they said but I may steal you before then."

    "I wouldn't doubt it." I raised a brow and smiled up at her blurry figure. Somehow my mind suddenly realized that she was staring at me and my defense mode kicked in. "Evan, how long have you been sitting here holding my hand?"

    "They already know, Aaron," she sighed and looked in the direction of the door. "It's kind of hard to fake watching the person you love in critical condition and undergo surgery."

    "I'm surprised they didn't have to sedate you."

    "I'm gonna have to give the nurses an extravagant gift."

    I smiled and felt myself starting to drift away.

    "I'm right here, Aaron." She laid her head on my hand and gently rubbed my tired skin.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is posted on Wattpad but I feel like I can have more adult fun on this site. The story is generally the same but there is some added adult fun here.


End file.
